Underneath the Kilt

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1 Underneath the Kilt Edinburgh 2010

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Travel guide created by Edinburgh Travel project members via citytravelreview.co.uk and Curso24.de

Transcript of Underneath the Kilt

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Underneath the Kilt

Edinburgh 2010

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Contents6-7 Introduction8-11 Accomodation12-13 Public Transport

14-19 Food & Drink20-29 history & sights

30-35 Museum & Art36-51 Literature & Film52-59 Shopping & Fashion60-77 Entertainment78-81 Surrounding Areas

82-87 Highlands

88-90 Scottish vocabulary

91 About Us

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Photos on this page by Sanna Giovanoli

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IntroductionText by Raphaela Schedel, photos by Sanna Giovanoli

Sure, you all want to know what‘s underneath the kilt. It was probably the reason why you opened this book - but not so fast. This is not a dirty magazine but a travel guide about Edinburgh. Shame on you and your nasty thoughts!

Nevertheless: In this city it‘s not unusual to see men in kilts. They are not a cliché but a reality in Edin-burgh as well as in the whole of Scotland. As the capital of a stunning country, Edinburgh is like the moon among many stars. The town has the perfect mixture between dark and mysterious on the one hand and modern and energetic on the other.

As a tourist we all know that it‘s kind of a must to do some typical tourist things. The first thing to do is to see all the famous sights of a town. Especially in Edinburgh there are so many sights that it might be difficult for you to see all of them. Edinburgh Castle, Arthurs Seat, Calton Hill, The Royal Mile, The Grass-market, Greyfrairs Churchyard. And so on.

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Secondly there needs to be an entertaining pro-gramme. Here is where opinions differ: For those of you who love the thrill, Edinburgh holds scary gra-veyards, evil spirits and dark undergrounds for you to discover. Others again want to visit museums, learn more about Scottish history or just simply want to go shopping. The rest just wants wild party nights out. (That‘s probably the largest group).

Be assured that all of your desires will be fulfilled: Most of the museums are for free, there are plenty of shopping malls, streets and little shops and as for the nightlife there are so many pubs and clubs that everyone will be taken care of.

If not you have the choice to come to Edinburgh when a festival is running and lucky you: There are lots of festivals during the whole year.If you finally have enough of this varied city you can visit Edinburgh‘s beautiful surrounding areas.

A little too much right now? Don‘t worry. We made this guide for you to make your trip to Edinburgh unique and unforgettable. So go on discovering this guide. It will be a help for you. (Don‘t you dare say something different) Keep this guide always by your side and enjoy your time in Edinburgh: City of end-less opportunities.

Your Travel Guide Team

P.S. Oh, right. What is underneath the kilt..? That‘s up to you to explore.

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AccomodationSweet dreams

Text & Photos by Julia Nickenig

There are many hostels and hotels in Edinburgh not overstretching young people’s budget. Here is a selection with the most important information (All prices as at March 2010, seasonal changes possible.).

Hostels

Budget Backpackers37 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JR+44 (0)131 226 6351

Located near Grassmarket this friendly hostel is in the neighbourhood of many individual stores, pubs and clubs. It offers self-service kitchens, a dining room and a chill-out room. Internet terminals and Wi-Fi are available. The reception is open 24h a day.Dorms from £8.50, Twins from £17.00; linen included, breakfast: £2; lockers in every room

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High Street Hostel 8 Blackfriars Street, Edinburgh EH1 1NE+44 (0)131 557 3984

The first independent youth-hostel in Edinburgh is located in an over 400-year-old building in the heart of the city centre. A self-service kitchen, a dinner party-lounge and a quiet lounge make your stay comfortable and rela-xing. Internet terminals and Wi-Fi are available. The reception is open 24h a dayDorms from £13, Double from £45.50 for two per-sons; linen included, breakfast £1.90, lockers in every room

Princes Street East Backpackers5 West Register Street, Edinburgh EH2 2AA+44 (0)131566 6894

The hostel is situated in a small street just off Princes Street – the main shopping street of Edinburgh. It is a 5 minute walk from the railway station. Guests can use the two self-catering kitchens, relax in the video lounge and en-joy free tea and coffee. Around the clock you have the possibility to buy drinks, sweets, phone cards, toiletries, etc. at the reception. There are 3 internet termi-nals, Wi-Fi is available throughout the hostel. Dorms from £11, Double from £30 for two persons; linen included; lockers in eve-ry room

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Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel9 Haddington Place, Edinburgh EH7 4AL+44 (0)131 524 2090

This five star hostel is a bit more expensive but very comfortable and tidy. It just takes few minutes to walk to the main attractions of Edinburgh. Besides self-catering facilities there are a bar and a restaurant offering full dining. Internet terminals and Wi-Fi are available. The recep-tion is open 24h a day.Dorms from £16, Double from £51 for two persons; all rooms have en-suite shower and WC. Linen included; breakfast £4.25, lockers in every room Wheelchair-friendly rooms are available on request

Hotels

Herald House Hotel70-72 Grove Street, Edinburgh EH3 8AP +44(0)131 2282323

The two star hotel is situated in Fountainbridge, two kilometres from the major tourist attractions. Rooms are small but clean and tidy. They are equip-ped with Colour TV, wireless internet access, telepho-ne, hairdryer and tea/coffee making facilities. A bar offers snack and drinks. Double rooms from £45, breakfast included

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Jury’s Inn Edinburgh Hotel: 43 Jeffrey Street, Edin-burgh EH1 1DH; +44 (0)131 200 3300

The hotel is centrally located in the Old Town of Edin-burgh. Although the building might not look very attractive from the outside it is very comfortable inside. High speed internet access, Satellite TV, Voice Mail and a tea/coffee tray are available in all 186 rooms. You can enjoy full dining in the restaurant or have a drink and a quick lunch at the bar. Double rooms from £59, wheelchair-friendly rooms are available on request

The West End Hotel: 35 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh EH12 5AU; +44 (0)131 225 3656

A ten minute walk away from the city centre, this hotel offers private hotel rooms as well as shared rooms. All hotel rooms are well equipped including flat screen plasma TVs, hair dryers and tea/coffee fa-cilities. Shared rooms are available in different sizes and are a cheap alternative for low budget travellers. Guests can prepare their own meal in a self-service kitchen or visit the modern bar. Internet access is available.Double rooms from £70, Triple rooms from £105, Quad rooms from £120 breakfast includedShared rooms from £10 per person, breakfast £3.00

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Cruisin’ around

Text & Photos by Sanna Giavanoli

Going upstairs on a double-decker bus while the bus driver is showing off his skills can be a shaky adventure. First you have to find the bus stop you need. Bu-ses only stop at every other stop in the city centre. Arriving at the right stop you may see a queue. Join the end of the line, otherwise you might get a disappro-ving glance. When you get on the bus, have the exact fare ready; the bus driver won’t give you any change. After taking the ticket, the really courageous person dares to go upstairs now. But take care, don’t break your neck! Once safe on the second floor, enjoy the view. Don‘t forget to say thank you to the bus driver, when you leave the bus, even if you don‘t know where he got his licence.

Buses are the best way to move through the city, its surrounding areas and even the whole country. There are several bus companies, specialising in different are-as. Lothian Regional Transport is the main provider of bus services in the city and runs mainly double-decker buses. Most of the routes go via Princes Street. Lothian Buses run the night buses too. For travelling further afield Scottish City-link goes to cities across the UK. The Flybus links the city centre to the airport in twenty minutes. There are also diffrent open top double-decker buses for tourist sight seeing. The tours start at Waverly Station in the city centre.

Public Transport

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The Waverley Station is one of the main train stations in Edinburgh. Travelling by train is qui-te expensive compared to the buses and there aren’t many areas co-vered by rail further in the north.

In 2007 the council deci-ded to rebuild the tram rails through Edinburgh. After being absent from the city‘s streets for 50 years the trams will con-nect Leith to the airport at great cost and energy. This is the first phase of the new Edinburgh tram system due in 2014. If you want a long, angry conversation with a local, just mention the trams.

If you prefer travelling by car, there are a lot of the legendary black ta-xis. You can also rent a car if you want to go out of Edinburgh, but please mind that in the UK peo-ple drive on the wrong side of the street

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Don’t ask, just dig in

Text and photos by Janine Glozat

Brave as a Scotsman - Scottish Taste-AdventureThe Scots are proud people. The harsh climate of the Highlands and a history full of violent conflicts hardened them. Mid-European stomachs can share in that bravery the Scots have shown over hundreds of years when they taste the typi-cal Scottish cuisine. But it is not only an adventure for the stomach, it is also an exciting rollercoaster for the taste buds. Steel yourself, grab a napkin and dig in.

Food & Drink

Haggis

A brown bowl with a sleek surface beside neeps and tatties which is Scots for turnip and potatoes – if this description fits what is on your plate you may be about to taste haggis. Inside of the bowl you find a mass similar to mincemeat. The consistency and the taste may remind you of black pudding. On your visit in Edinburgh you definitely have to take this taste-adventure in one of the hundreds of pubs or bistros in the city where haggis is offered on the daily menu. Although haggis is a traditional recipe, it has also moved with the time: For a snack you can get a “hag-gis to go” in some takeaway places. And even Vegeta-rians do not have to abandon the phenomenal taste by enjoying a veggy haggis from the supermarket. If you have absolutely fallen in love with haggis, don´t worry. You can even order original haggis from the Burgh on www.haggis.de.

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Readers with a weak stomach who want to build a fair-minded judgement by tasting haggis should not read this preparation beforehand. Brace yourselves. So, you take a sheep´s stomach, wash it inside and outside and fill it with a pre-cooked stuffing of in-nards of pig or beef, onions, spices and oatmeal. After closing it with needle and thread the whole bowl has to be cooked in water for a minimum of three hours. You eat it warm and – not unimportant – without the sheep´s paunch.

Cock-a-leckie-Soup

A day in Auld Reekie which is one of many names for Edinburgh can sometimes be very cold. With frozen hands and shivering knees you might be glad for a hot cock-a-leckie-soup. This concoction is not as ex-ceptional as haggis but it is a long-established star-ter on festive days like the anniversary of the famous poet Robert Burns. The recipe was invented in the 16th century, whe-re people tried to create a filling dish from the little food they had. So they took a chicken, leek, prunes, spices and sometimes other cheap vegetables and cooked it together. By now, there are over 100 mo-dern variations of this soup with all kinds of ingre-dients like avocado or risotto.

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Hog Roast Rolls

Another meal which re-quires mental stability while eating it can be found in a shop called “Oink” on Victoria Street. It is known as Hog Roast Rolls and you can be ab-solutely sure that the fil-ling of your roll is fresh. You even meet the pig from which your pork is taken because the who-le sucking-pig lies in the window of the shop.Besides pork you can also add apple or chilli sauce, onion stuffing and even slices of haggis. For a perfect snack on an exhausting day in Edin-burgh enjoy a real tasty Hog Roast Roll while the sucking-pig lasts.

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Slàinte, Cheers and Good Health - Besides the uisge beatha!

Single-Malt-Whisky, Grain Whisky, Blended Whisky, peaty, smoky or fruity – after a few days in Scotland you will be an expert in tasting nearly 15,000 sorts of Scot-tish Whisky (at least your head felt like it was 15,000) and you ask yourself what else to drink now? Do not be afraid, there is still more taste to be discovered, some more, others less. But decide on your own. Here are some suggestions.

IRN BRU

“Made in Scotland, from Girders” – You think this is only an advertising slo-gan? Just have a look at Scottish people: they are uncommonly strong and persistent. To leave no doubt, just have a glass of this bright orange, very sweet and incom-parable tasting drink af-ter a party night. With its 32 ingredients like sugar, ammonium ferric citra-te, caffeine and quinine it kills every hangover. It is even so effective that in some countries it is categorised as a drug. But that can´t keep the Scots away from their most popular soft drink, especially after a night of whisky tasting.

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Scottish Ales

Doing a pub tour around Auld Reekie without tasting Ale? Impossible. First you have to decide how strong your beer should be. It differs from 3.5 to 6 percent of alco-hol content. Real Scot-tish ales are strong beers but you can also choose a light one from one of the various breweries in and around Edinburgh. Most ales are smooth and malty with a dark colour. Their taste is soft, nearly sweet and that´s why ales are even loved by women. And don´t be afraid that your ale is not fresh because of a low head: this beer is drawn with less carbon dioxide than a pilsner beer.

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Cider

Imagine a wood pa-nelled, narrow pub. A rugby game is shown on a television in a dark corner. Bulky guys sit at the counter, drinking - cider. Yes, cider. Forget the smooth summer evening in a bistro in Provence in France, ci-der is a famous drink in the whole of UK and you can find it in nearly eve-ry Pub in the Burgh. Like beer, cider here is drawn on a tap like ales. And if you cannot quit with beer, just order a Snake Bite and the Bartender will mix you the cider with a shot of light beer. Cheers!

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history & sights

Places to know, Places to go

Text & photos by Sylvia Kasmann

History is all around

When walking through the streets of Edinburgh, you feel as if you have just tra-velled 600 years back in time. The ancient castle which has dominated the city’s skyline since the seventh century lets Edi glow in the light of long gone kings. The cobblestoned streets and winded alleys seem to be shaped by old stories from Edinburgh’s founding days to the modern times. Medieval houses guard those streets and not few of them were sites of murder, theft and betrayal. You simply cannot escape history while visiting Edi. We know that history is not everybody’s thing but you do not have to listen to dull stories told by someone who looks as ancient as the things he talks about to learn something about the city. Instead, you can stroll around the capital and have a look at its many sights which reflect Edinburgh’s history in an illustrative way. Edinburgh wears history on its sleeve. You will learn about Maggie Dickinson who was hanged but lived another 40 ye-ars after that. About the most faithful dog in the world, Bobby, that did not leave his master even after the latter’s death. About the creepiest poltergeist haunting in Edinburgh, about a king on a donkey, and many other things. So just have a walk through Edi, you will see that it’s worth your time.

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The Royal Mile

The Royal Mile is a real ragbag of sights. It leads from Holyrood Palace up to the Castle and is one mile long (the Scots are not really the most crea-tive people when it co-mes to naming things). You can find a lot of his-tory on it, like at St. Giles High Kirk or the Castle, as well as a lot of shops that lure you with cashmere, tartan, tweed and Celtic jewellery.

Holyrood Palace

You can find the Holyro-od Palace at the east end of the Royal Mile. It is the official residence of the Queen when she stays in Scotland, so watch out for the British flag while visiting it. If it is hoisted, she is in town. However, Holyrood has not always been a royal home. Ori-ginally, it was an Abbey, build in the 12th centu-ry that was expanded throughout the years. Since the 15th century it has been serving as a residence for monarchs and accommodating fa-mous people like Mary, Queen of the Scots.

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The Parliament

Whilst in Edi, you have to see the new Scottish Parliament Building, finished in 2004. It is a spectacular example of modern architecture situated next to Holy-rood Park. The architect, Enric Miralles, wanted to design a building that would seem to grow out of nature. Therefore, he threw some leaves on a piece of paper and decided that the newly established Scottish parliament should look exactly like that. If you look at it today, it is easy to see the natural influences, like the leaf shaped buildings and grass covered roofs. Go there, it’s worth a visit.

St. Giles High Kirk

This church is located in the middle of the Royal Mile and has been one of Edinburgh’s religious centres for 900 years. It was named in honour of the pat-ron of Edi, St. Giles. The kirk was founded during the 1120s when the royal Scottish family made efforts to spread Christianity. It played a decisive role during the Reformation in Scotland as one of its priests was John Knox, who was the founder of the Presbytarian Church. He was buried in the graveyard of the ca-thedral, which was turned into a car park a couple of hundred years later. Besides the historical impor-tance, St. Giles is an interesting piece of architecture as well. Its gothic style and colourful windows create an atmosphere of warmth and mystery.

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Edinburgh Castle

The most popular attraction in Edinburgh is of course the castle. This mighty fortress is the city’s symbol and, together with the Old and New Town, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its most prominent characteristic is that it is built on a huge rock which was created by volcanic activity approximately 340 million years ago. There have been settlements on this rock since 900 BC. The first histo-rical reference to Din Eidyn, a fortress on the rock, stems from 600 AD. The castle has often been in the centre of the never ending quarrels between the Scots and the English. It has been repeatedly invaded by the English and recaptured by the Scots. If you are planning to visit it, you should have a lot of time on your back as it offers many different museums to illustrate its history.

Grassmarket

The Grassmarket is a small area of central Edinburgh, southeast of the castle. From the 15th to the early 20th century it used to be a market of horse and cattle as well as place of public executions. The most famous story about Grassmarket is that of half-hanged Mary Dickinson. Today you do not encounter any (supposedly) dead people dangling from the gallows, but a lot of students, lively pubs, cool clubs, individual second-hand shops and cheap hotels. The young cannot miss Grassmarket.

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Greyfriars Kirkyard

If you are a person who is into mystery, you have to go to Greyfriars Kir-kyard. This graveyard is situated on the southern edge of the Old Town. It is prominent for two en-tirely different things: the most vicious poltergeist haunting in Edinburgh and the most faithful dog in the world. Buried in this graveyard is Geor-ge MacKenzie, who died in 1691 and during his li-ving days once executed 100 men in one day. He was not very popular in Edi, as you might guess, and even after his death he tried to murder peo-ple, or so it is believed. A more heartwarming story is that of the dog Bobby. When his master died and was interred on Greyfriars Kirkyard, Bobby sat at his master’s grave everyday for 14 years. There is a memo-rial dedicated to him in Greyfriars Kirkyard and also a statue near its ent-rance. It is the most pho-tographed sculpture in Edinburgh.

Arthur’s Seat

When you are walking through Edinburgh, you cannot help noticing the huge hill that is very close to the city’s centre. Arthur’s Seat is the main peak of the group of mounds that form Holy-rood Park, which is basi-cally wild Highland land-scape in the town. It is 251 metres (823 ft) high and climbing it might be a bit tiring. But if you should start seeing stars in front of your eyes, just think of the magnificent panoramic view that you will be rewarded with when you get to the top. There is no other place in Edinburgh that deli-vers such an excellent picture of the whole city. So climb it, it’s worth the effort.

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Photos on this page by Sanna Giovanoli

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Calton Hill

Another prominent peak is Calton Hill, which is quite close to Arthur’s Seat. It offers a fantastic view of the city as well, but unlike Arthur’s Seat, Calton Hill harbours several buildings and monuments. There is for example St. Andrew’s House, which has accommodated part of the Scottish government since 1999. Moreover, you can find the National Monument up there, which is a memorial to those who died in the Napoleonic wars and many more. Therefore, Calton Hill is the perfect mix of relishing a great view and history.

Photos on this page by Pamela Kölbl

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The Heart of Midlothian

When hearing this phrase, most people will think of Edinburgh’s football club. However, we do not talk about sports here, but about the only spot in town on which you are allowed to spit without earning any disgusted looks.The Heart of Midlothian is a heart shaped mosaic in the pavement near the West Door of St. Giles High Kirk on the Royal Mile. Together with some bricks it records the position of 15th century Tolbooth, which used to be an administrative cen-tre, a prison and a site of execution. It was demolished in 1817 and back in tho-se days, Edinburgh was in the middle of the Scottish county Midlothian, which changed due to political amendments.Being a prison and a place of execution, Tolbooth was not very popular amongst the people of Edinburgh. Especially criminals were not at all fond of the place and expressed their dislike by spitting on it. This became a fashion in Edinburgh that is still valid today. Whenever people are unhappy about the local policy or about anything else, they spit on the heart shaped mosaic while passing by. As a tourist you do not even have to be mad about anything at all to be allowed to spit on it. There is a legend saying that if you do it, you are destined to return to Edi. However, some tourists do not seem to get the real message of the heart. Once there was a guy who got so carried away by the romantic shape of the mosaic that he proposed to his girlfriend on it. Here is a piece of advice: do NOT imitate this, standing in a puddle of spit while proposing is not the best way to start an engagement! Nevertheless, feel free to spit on the heart, it might bring you luck.

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Old and New Town

Did you know?Edinburgh’s Old and New Town have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. The medieval Old Town stretches from the Castle down to Holy-rood Palace. It is characterised by various alleys called “closes” and tall buildings that can be up to 14 storeys high. The Georgian New Town is located north of the Old Town and was constructed from the late 18th to the end of the 19th century. It is distinguished by an uncommonly high concentration of neo-classical buil-dings. The contrast between these two parts of Edinburgh bestows this city with its unique flair.

New Town

West End

Old Town

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The Royal Botanic Garden

Text & photos by Anne Becker

The Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, founded in 1670, is the second oldest institution of the town and with seventy beautiful landscaped acres one of the most respected gardens in the world. Discover known and unknown plants in a centre for research, conservation and education. But before you can en-joy it, please help to protect the garden plant with a footbath on the entrance. Visitors of all ages can relax between exotic and tropic rainforests, arid and mountain lands, Victorian palm houses and the world famous rock garden. Take a light snack at the Terrace Café and be surprised by the panoramic view of the city centre.

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Museum & Art

aMUSEuMent par excellence!

Text & photos by Anna Katharina Laschke

Beside shopping malls and other touristy entertain-ment, Edinburgh`s cultural landscape offers various opportunities for all art lovers or ‘thirsty-for-know-ledge-ones’ to spend their leisure: Meet famous Mo-dern Art at the Dean Gallery, dip into Scottish History at the National Museum or be consumed by visual illusions at Camera Obscura - everyone to his own taste! Select your favourite and get aMUSEuMent started!

“Your journey of discovery starts here…”– The National Museum of Scotland–

The Royal Museum, housed in a magnificent Victori-an building of the 19th century on Chambers Street, and The Museum of Scotland were merged into The National Museum of Scotland in 2007. Various arte-facts of past and present life are exhibited on the six levels in the modern part of the Museum today: St-arting on the ground floor with the Beginning - the first three billion years of Scotland`s history with origins and evolution of the Scottish landscape, flo-ra and fauna – further on with the Early People, the Kingdom of the Scots, Scotland Transformed, Indus-try and Empire up to Scotland: A Changing Nation on the sixth floor. The collections tell you the “story of Scotland, its land, people and culture.”, supplemen-ted by objects from around the world, encompas-

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sing archaeology, geology, natural history, science, technology and art, which are presented in The Royal Museum. Walking through the exhibition may feel like exploring a maze: Your tour is not predetermined and the room layout offers various ways to discover the museum. Every single room holds its own surprises, especially the so-called “Discovery-Zones” for children as well as enthusiastic grown-ups. Even if you may not be that interested in museums, it is worth a visit: The correla-tion of modern architecture and the historical samples of the exhibition creates a unique atmosphere and is definitely worth seeing! And don`t forget to spend some time on the wonderful terrace on the seventh floor, where you will have a splendid view over Edi`s Old Town!

Address: Chambers Street Edinburgh EH1 1JFContact: Tel: 0131 225 7534 Website: http://www.nms.ac.uk/default.aspx Opening times: daily 10am-5pm Admission: free

additional offers: shop, café, special exhibitions, events and shows, guided and themed tours, touch or signed tours for visually impaired, school visits etc.

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“Welcome to Huntly House – Edinburgh`s Local History Museum!” – The Museum of Edinburgh–

If you are interested in learning more about the history and development of the city of Edinburgh, this museum will be your favourite spot! An amazing ragbag of Edinburgh silver and glass, Scottish pottery, shop signs and other significant artefacts, like the original plan of the New Town of Edinburgh designed by ar-chitect James Craig in 1766, gives an impression of what Edi`s people might have seen, heard or even smelt. Enjoy the history-charged atmopshere of antiquarian Huntly House, while you`re wandering through the centuries.

Address: 142 Canongate Edinburgh EH8 8DDContact: Tel: 0131 529 4143Website: http://www. cac. org. uk Opening times: Monday-Saturday: 10am-5pm Sunday: closed Admission: free

additional offers: shop, pre-booking services for groups, events and resources for families, Baby changing facilities, induction loops in exhibition space etc.

“Lose yourself in our eclectic mix of old toys and memories.” –Museum of Childhood–

Opened in 1955, the Museum of Childhood was the first museum in the world, which specialised in the history of childhood. Created from a Western European perspective of childhood, it assembles objects telling of childhood past and pre-sent, for example toys, dresses and interior decoration. Ideal for those who appreciate traditional exhibitions in local museums with a cosy atmosphere.

Address: 42 High Street, Royal Mile Edinburgh EH1 1TGContact: Tel: 0131 529 4142 Website: via www.edinburgh.gov.uk/ Opening times: Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm Sunday 12am-5pmAdmission: free

additional offers: shop, temporary exhibitions and events, workshops for children and adults

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Money, money, money...! – The Mus£um on the Mound–

Ian Rankin`s favourite new museum, located in the heart of Edinburgh`s centre, was opened in 2006 and “takes a fresh look at money”: Objects of art and design, technology, crime, trade and security are assembled to tell all features in the sto-ry of money.

Address: The Mound EdinburghEH1 1YZ Contact: Tel: 0131 243 5464Website: www.museumonthemound.com/Opening times: Tuesday-Friday: 10am – 5pm Saturday-Sunday: 1pm – 5pm Holiday Mondays: 1pm – 5pm Admission: free

additional offers: Shop, special programmes for school vi-sits, visit to the archives on demand, Baby changing faci-lities etc.

HiStory - Step into “The People`s Story”

The People`s Story is housed in the Cannongate Tolbooth, a former tax collecting house, court and prison, and tells the hiStory of the ordinary people of Edin-burgh, their lives, their work and their leisure from the late 18th to the end of the 20thcentury. A mixed collage of oral history, written sources, historical artefacts and replications will convey the “sounds and smells of the past” to the visitors, getting “a glimpse of the occupations and hardships from yesteryear.” In short: A little familial museum, recommended to those, who are interested in nostalgic exhibitions and aren`t afraid of reading!

Address: Canongate Tolbooth Royal Mile Edinburgh EH8 8BN Contact: Tel: 0131 529 4057 Website: via www.edinburgh.gov.uk/ Opening times: Monday–Saturday 10am-5pm Sundays (in August only!) 12am-5pmAdmission: free

additional offers: wheelchair accessible, facilities availab-le for visually impaired, nappy changing facilities etc.

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“Get ready for five floors of hands-on, interactive fun!” –Camera Obscura and World of Illusions–

Another ‘must’ on any visit to Edinburgh is the fascinating and amusing Camera Obscura and the World of Illusions – fantastic views over Edinburgh and an “ama-zing range of optical experiences” included! Definitely a unique opportunity to see the city and to get to know more about its history!

Address: Castlehill The Royal Mile Edinburgh EH1 2ND Contact: Tel: 0131 226 3709

for further information about Admission Charges and Opening times please check out website: www.camera-obscura.co.uk/index.asp

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Life is short, art is long! – smARTful Edinburgh!

Addicted to the Arts? Then don`t miss experiencing Edinburgh`s art scene! Not only official museums, like the National Galleries of Scotland, but also private gal-leries and ateliers as in Stockbridge with their temporary exhibitions are a sight to see! So enjoy drifting through a proper universe of past and present artworks and learn more about the ARTistic side of Scotland`s capital city!

“There‘s more to Da Vinci than codes and more to Warhol than cans.”

Situated right in the heart of Edinburgh the National Gallery Complex is made up of three interconnected buildings: The National Gallery of Scotland, which is “home to a major part of Scotland`s sensational national collection of fine art”, the Royal Scottish Academy Building (RSA), which is one of Europe`s “premier venues” for international exhibitions, and the Weston Link, which connects the two buildings and offers areas for learning, shopping, eating and drinking! So spend a little while strolling around in these peaceful surroundings and discover masterpieces from Raphael and Rembrandt to Rubens!

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery, the first pur-pose-built portrait gallery in the world, is currently undergoing a major refurbishment and is actually closed. Following the planned reopening in 2011 more portraits will be shown “within the context of various historical and thematic exhibitions” and will reveal the “fascinating stories behind the sitters and the artists.” The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the nearby Dean Gallery will be your favourites, if you cherish modern and contemporary art in all its vari-ous forms. And even if you`re not that keen on visit-ing art-exhibitions – enjoy the beautiful surrounding parkland with the sculpture works by important ar-tists or rummage in the wonderful galleries shops!

for further information please check out Website: www.nationalgalleries.org/ www.museumonthemound.com/ www.nms.ac.uk/ www.edinburgh.gov.uk/

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Literature & FilmFor book worms and film nerds

Where Book Lovers have to go

Text and photos by Melanie Schütte

Why Edinburgh is THE book-city

Edinburgh was the first UNESCO World City of Literature. This is not the only rea-son why you should have a look at the widespread history of literature in this city during your stay. There are a lot of opportunities for literary interests. Discover the places where famous authors found inspiration for their stories on a litera-ture tour. Learn more about them in the National Library and finally go shopping in the unique antiquarian bookshops.

The Writers’ Museum

Start your literature adventure with a visit to the Writers’ Museum. You can reach it easily from Royal Mile going down Lady Stair’s Close. Even the courtyard is just worth having a look at. This place is called Makars’ Court and also known as the ‘walk of fame of literature’. The inscriptions carved into stones commemorate all famous Scottish writers from the 14th century to the present.The museum is quite small but a comfortable place because of its homely ar-chitecture. Built in 1622, it was home of one of the city’s wealthiest families. The permanent exhibition is dedicated to three famous Scottish authors: Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. A comfortable couch on the second floor invites you to sit down and have a look at the books of the three authors.

Writers‘ Museum and Makars‘ Court Lady Stair‘s Close, Edinburgh, EH1 2PAMonday - Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday 12 - 5pm (during August only) Admission free

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Robert Burns – The Greatest Scot

Let’s start with the most celebrated Scottish Poet: Robert Burns. Of course you don’t have to know all poems of this world-wide celebrated author, but at least the most popular one: Auld Lang Syne (engl.: old long since) is traditionally chanted at Hogmanay and became one of the best known songs in the English speaking world. A lot of Burns works are in Scottish dialect. Regar-ded as a pioneer of the Romantic Movement, Burns was even voted as the greatest Scot in a public vote TV-Show in 2009. And because the Scots love him so much he has even got his own holiday called Burns Night or Burns Supper celebrated 25th of Janu-ary. This day is not just celebrated in Scotland but also everywhere in the world where Scottish migrants live. The supper includes traditional Hag-gis, a toast to the author accompanied by whisky and one of his songs or poems. If Haggis turns your stomach, try a war-

ming soup, neeps and tatties, a main course of Scottish salmon or Aberdeen Angus beef and rounded off with a Scotch Trifle.

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Scott Monument: 287 steps to the top

A 61,1 meters tall Victorian Go-thic spire that reminds you of a space rocket, dominates the south side of Princes Street - the Scott Monument. Completed in 1844 it is dedicated to another Scottish writer who became well-known throughout Euro-pe because of his novels. He was the first English speaking author who had success ab-road. He is also responsible for two major trends that carry on this day. Scott invented the mo-dern historical novel and reha-bilitated the public perception of Highland culture after years. That makes him a lead figure in the development of Scottish history. The monument incorporates statues of three Scottish Mon-archs, 16 poets and 64 of Scott’s characters in its architecture. From the top of the pinnacle you have a panorama view over Edinburgh’s historic Old and New Towns.

Summer (April - September inclu-sive): Monday - Sunday 10am-7pm

Winter (October - March inclusi-ve): Monday - Saturday 9am - 4pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

Admission: £3

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Robert Louis Stevenson: How Deacon Brodie, Mister Jekyll and Dr. Hyde come together

The third of the three authors in the Writers’ Muse-um is known for his novels like Treasure Island. By the way the biggest part of the exhibition in the Writers’ Museum is dedicated to him. You can see a cabinet there made for him by William Brodie. Yet this guy was not only a cabinet maker and respected mem-ber of the Town Council. After work he became one of the most notorious thieves in the city’s history. He would break into his customers’ houses because he had copied their front door keys during his working hours. This story inspired Stevenson and his friend W.E. Henly to write four plays but none of them became as famous as the novel “The strange case of Dr. Je-kyll and Mr. Hyde” published by Stevenson himself in 1886. The story became such a successful bestseller that the adjectival expression Jekyll and Hyde is part of the English language today.

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National Library

Scotland’s biggest library is located just a few steps from Writers’ Museum. As one of UK’s five copyright libraries it receives a copy of every text published in the UK. This leads to wonderful treasures and ma-kes the National Library the world centre for study of Scotland and the Scots. If you don’t need to study this place is worth a visit due to the frequent public exhibitions of the library’s collection and the rolling programmes which are mostly free admission.

57 George IV BridgeOpening HoursMonday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9.30am – 8.30pmWednesday 10am – 8.30pmSaturday 9.30am – 1pm

Exhibition opening hoursMonday – Friday 10am – 8pmSaturday 10am – 5amSunday 2pm – 5pm

Scottish Storytelling Centre

This is a special place. People can learn the art of telling stories, or as the Scots say, spin a yarn, here and participate in many year-round events like workshops and speeches. There is also an open exhibition on Scotland’s Stories offe-red. This free permanent exhibition tells the rich story heritage from folk-tale and tradition to mo-dern bestsellers. You can also have a break in the café and use the library.

43-45 High Street Monday – Saturday 10am – 6pm

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Elephant House – Birthplace of Harry Potter

If you like to write maybe there will be inspiration for you just like it has been for some authors before. The most famous is Joanne K. Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter novels.Here is the story: After her daughter’s birth and the separation from her husband, Rowling lived in Edinburgh without a job and without much money. To save the heating costs she used to sit in a café. In the Elephant House, she had her favo-urite spot at a window you can identify from the outside as the one with two houseplants in it. From here you have a view to the Castle and to George Heriot’s School. When you see the architecture of this building you can easily recognise Hogwarts. Rowling sent her own kids to this school after she became a millio-naire thanks to the success of her novels.

This place is called a gourmet tea & coffee house and restaurant and has itself established as one of the best ones in Edinburgh. Open seven days a week you can have breakfast, lunch or dinner here. They serve a large selec-tion of tea and coffees as well as cakes and main dishes. Situated near the Grassmarket oppo-site the National Museum it is a good place to either start or end your city tour.

Elephant House 21 George IV Bridge Mon-day–Sunday 8am–10 pm

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Experience Literature- a different Sightseeing Tour

The best way to get a feeling for Edinburgh’s connection with its his-tory of literature is a guided literature tour. Gaining an overview of hundreds of years of his-tory or learning about details– it’s up to you.

Edinburgh Book Lo-vers’ Tour

This guided walking tour starts at the Wri-ters’ Museum and leads through the history of Burns, Scott, Steven-son and many more. It is lead by Allan Foster who wrote two books about Edinburgh’s liter-ary scene. Enjoy this tour with a real expert.

Departs outside the Wri-ters’ Museum May to September – Every Saturday and Sunday at 2.30pm(2.30pm Daily during Edin-burgh Festival Fringe)October to April – Saturday at 2.30pm£10 Adult, £9 Student/Senior

Literary Pub Crawl

This tour is also led by Allan Foster and focused on the literary pubs. With a pint of beer and some music you can have an unforgettable night.

Departs form the Mitre Pub, 131-133 High Street May to September – every evening except Mondays 7.30pmOctober to April – Saturday evenings only£10 Adult, £9 Student/Senior

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Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour

The ingredients are sim-ple: pubs, laughs and literature. A duo of two actors will lead you through 300 years of Edinburgh’s literary his-tory.

Departs from the Beehive Inn (in the Grassmarket)May to September daily 7.30pmOctober, March, April – Thursday till Sunday 7.30pmNovember, December, January, February – Friday 7.30pm £8 Adult, £6 Students

Trainspotting Tour

Irving Welsh became famous in 1993 with his novel ‘Trainspotting’ about a group of young heroin addicts. This book provokes shock and debate but Welsh be-came the voice of the British youth culture of 1990s. The 1996 film version reached a wider audience. For real fans the city even offers a Trainspotting tour which leads through the dis-trict of Leith and shows the key locations of the film.

Various tours offered, so for further information see www.leithwalks.co.uk/

Rebus Tours

This tour is based on the character detective ins-pector John Rebus from Ian Rankin’s detective stories. The author is fa-mous for always weaving real places and events into his stories. He also made his own home – Arden Street –the home of his fictional inspector Rebus. Another common element is that the Ox-ford Bar is the local bar of both – Rebus and Ran-kin. The theme of this tour is politics and corruptions contrasting the time of the Act of Union in 1707 with the present day. A good chance to disco-ver the alternative Edin-burgh.

Hidden Edinburgh Tour

Saturday from the Royal Oak pub in Infirmary Street at 12pm

Body Politic Tour

every Saturday from the Royal Oak pub in Infirmary Street at 3pm £10www.rebustours.com

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Where Book Lovers should go

Text & photos by Kerstin Mahler

Having been on a literary journey through Edinburgh you surely want to get yourself a book that you could take back home with you. You, of course, could go to the big Waterstones Stores in Princes Street, but for real book lovers, the side streets are much more interesting. Here you can find second hand bookshops. They are not only worth a visit because they often sell bestsellers cheaply but also because the atmosphere of some of these shops is quite unique.One of the most impressive second hand bookshop is the Old Town Bookshop in Victoria Street near Grassmarket. The narrow room is crammed full of books from the bottom to the top. It gives you the impression, that someone was set the fol-lowing task: Fill a small space with as many books as possible. So you stand in the shop in awe and secretly ask yourself how someone could ever reach those top shelves. If you have the overview you could find exotic titles like Birds in Britain Volume 41, Portraits in oil and vinegar or Games and sports in the Army but also well known books like an Ian Rankin novel. While being at Grassmarket you should stroll down West Port. Here are several second hand bookshops next to each other. If you are a fan of fantasy or science fiction the Transreal Fiction Bookshop in Cowgatehead is just the right location for you. You’ll find everything from Adams to Tolkien. Also highly recommendable is the Broughton Street Bookshop. It is located in the New Town and provides a wide range of quite cheap bestsellers. Additionally there is another very interesting life story to discover as Brian Rafferty, who runs the shop, suffers from the Aspergers Syndrome (a form of autism). If you just want to get yourself a cheap book though you should pop into one of the charity shops, like Oxfam or PDSA (Pets in need of Vets). In one of these you can buy donated books for a small amount of money and do something good at the same time.

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Addresses and opening hours

Armchair Books72–74 West PortEdinburgh EH1 2LE Open: 11.00am to 7.00pm (approximately).

Broughton Street Book-shop 44 Broughton StEdinburgh, EH1 3Open: Monday closed, Tu-esday to Friday 11.00am to 7.00pm, Saturday 10.00am to 6.00pm, Sunday noon to 6.00pm.

The Old Town Bookshop 8 Victoria StreetEdinburgh, EH1 2HG. Open: 10.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday.

Transreal Fiction Bookshop7 CowgateheadEdinburgh EH1 1JYOpen: Monday to Friday 11.00am to 6.00pm, Satur-day 10.00am to 6.00pm.

Waterstones 13-14 Princes StreetEdinburgh EH2 2ANOpen: Monday to Friday 9.00am to 8.00pm Satur-day 9.00am to 7.00pm Sun-day 10.00am to 6.00pm.

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The Book Festival

Text by Kerstin Mahler

It seems that there could not be a better treat for a book lover then the Book Festival in August. There are author events, debates, workshops and most impor-tantly, of course, loads of books. Many Very Important People have visited the fes-tival in the past years. National and international authors like Ian Rankin, J.K. Row-ling, Henning Mankell and Cornelia Funke are only a few names that could be dropped related to the festival. It takes place in Charlotte Square Garden which is not usually open to the public. You can experience the magical atmosphere of the Festival in Charlotte Square Garden by sitting on the lawn with a book you just bought in one of the two independent bookshops, whilst having a snack and listening to live music.

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Aaaaaaaaaaaand action!

Following the footsteps of Ewan McGregor and Tom Hanks

Text and photos by Friederike Ebel

Imagine you are on a shopping tour on Princes Street, looking in the windows, chatting with your girls, ab-solutely amazed by the city. Suddenly you hear some hectical steps behind you, and just as you’re turning around, three thin, pale boys nearly bring you to fall by running down the street. As you follow them with your eyes, you think: “Was that really Ewan McGre-gor?”With a bit of imagination or the help of whisky and beer, you could really feel like being a part of Danny Boyle’s “Trainspotting”, which was shot in Edinburgh and Glasgow in 1996. It deals with heroin abuse and the problems of young people who grew up in Leith, an economically depressed area of Edinburgh in the 80s. You may recognise some houses or crossroads while walking down Edinburgh’s most famous shopping paradise, Princes Street, but there are a lot more places which are worth a visit for a Trainspotting fan. Just stroll down Leith Walk, the main street of Leith. Irvine Welsh, the author of the novel, was born in this quarter of the city, which is known for its troubled past, drug addicts, unemployment and a high crime rate. Today Leith is about to become the new fashio-nable quarter of Edinburgh, but you can still feel the special atmosphere, which made the book and mo-vie so authentic. At the end of Leith Walk you’ll arrive at “The Foot of the Walk”, a pub where some drinking scenes with Ewan McGregor were filmed. Feel free to sit down, grab yourself a beer and clink glasses to Mark, Spud, Sick Boy, Tommy and Begbie. But be care-ful not to copy the movie figures too much, the bar-man might get angry when you start throwing beer glasses like Begbie did in the movie.

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In addition, some parts were filmed on the train tracks between Edinburgh and Glasgow, so if you’re on a one day visit to Glasgow, don’t miss thinking of Mark and Sick Boy lying in the grass, watching trains go by and talking about Sean Connery films. As a real Trainspotting addict, you can join the Trainspotting tour, which is offered all year around. For further information check out the programme of the Trainspotting tours on www.leithwalks.co.uk or call 0131 555 2500.Prices: about £4, all tours take around 2 [email protected]

If you’re not that interested in drugs, alcohol, sex and crime, but in adventure and tension, there is an old, mystical place near Edinburgh, which played an im-portant role in the 2005 blockbuster “The Da Vinci Code”. Do you remember Tom Hanks and Audrey Ta-tou alias Professor Langdon and Sophie Neveu ente-ring a church, placed in romantic surroundings, just to find out the secret of the Holy Grail? This scene, full of magic, was filmed in the 15th century Rosslyn Chapel, which is not far away from the capital. You can reach the chapel by bus. It is seated near the little village of Rosslyn and is only about 30 minu-tes away from the city centre. There may be pictu-res of the movie popping into your head when you enter the romantic church, and while you’re walking around the nave you’ll probably empathise with the excitement Robert and Sophie felt by discovering who Sophie’s ancestor was. When you are climbing down the stairs to the chamber where Langdon and Sophie were expecting the Holy Grail to be arranged in, you will feel a prickle in your belly and your feet may tremble.So enjoy your visit and keep in mind to walk the little path down to the Rosslyn Castle, an old hulk of ma-sonry next to the church. It is the perfect backdrop to take some nice pictures and to enjoy the beautiful

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landscape. So sit down on a weather-beaten castle stone, relax and just soak up the magic of Rosslyn chapel. It will leave a strong mark in your memories.

Admission Price Adults £7.50 Concessions £6.00Under 16s (with their family) Free Under 16s in a school group £4.00

Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 9.30 – 17.00Sun: 12.00 – 16.45

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A Sean Connery view on Edinburgh

An elegant man is leaning against the bar. His eyes are brown, his hair black. The suit he wears is of the best material. All of the women in the room glance him with interest. One of them will spend the night with the stranger. The man smiles, lifts his eyebrow and then, very slowly, turns to the barman: “I have it shaken, and not stirred! “

Everybody knows that famous sentence from James Bond, who was first played by Sean Connery in 1962. After his James Bond period, Sean Connery develo-ped into an actor with a strong character and ap-peared in a lot of famous movies such as “The Name of the Rose”, “The Hunt for Red October” and “Finding Forrester”.But this man, known for being someone men want to be and women want to be with, has not always been that high-flying. He was born in the Edinburgh of the 1930s, not in one of the nice quarters but in Fountainbridge. The factories made the area dusty and dirty. The Connerys weren’t very rich and lived in an old tenement at 176 Fountainbridge with no hot water and no bathroom.At age 13, the young Connery left school to earn some money for his family by delivering milk around the city. You will have a lot of problems seeking the Connery’s former home today. It was knocked down in the 1960s to make way for a new bottling plant. Today Fountainbridge is unrecognisable from the area that Connery grew up in. You’ll need a lot of imagination to fancy the streets, shops and houses of his child-hood. There is also McEwans brewery, where Sean Connery’s father worked.The world renown Edinburgh College of Art sits at Lauriston Place. In his young years the actor was also a bodybuilder and because of his athletic physique and of course good looks, Connery earned some ex-

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tra money by posing nude for art students. Some naked pictures still survive of the man voted as the Sexiest Man Alive in 1989 and the Sexiest Man of the Cen-tury in 1999. Take the time to visit the King’s Theatre at Leven Street. It is one of the most im-portant and historical theatres of Scotland and the starting point of Connery‘s career as an actor. In addition to his model jobs and the bodybuilding, he picked up some extra money by helping out backstage at the King’s. This is where he got interested in acting.Even in the evening Connery’s footsteps echo around Edinburgh. When the ac-tor, who is now living in the Caribbean, comes to visit his city he likes to have dinner at the Italian restaurant “Ciao Italia”, which is close to the Royal Mile at 64 Southbridge. If you are really lucky, the person at the table next to you may be Connery himself. Ask him questions about Scotland. He is very passionate about Scottish politics and its history.So enjoy your trip to Connery‘s hometown. Maybe you can feel a bit of the passi-on he feels for his city yourself.

Did you know…There’s a small tho-roughfare that is named after Sean Connery? It runs past the site of the tenement at 176 Foun-tainbridge where Sean Connery was born.“When I took a taxi du-ring a recent Edinburgh Film Festival, the cabbie was amazed that I could put a name to every street we passed.‘How come?’ he asked.‘As a boy I used to deliver a milk round here,’ I said.‘So what do you do know?’That was rather harder to answer.”Sean Connery, in: Being a Scot

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Shop till you drop

Shopping that suits everyone!

Text & photos by Desi Ilker

The second most visited tourist destination in the United Kingdom, Edinburgh offers a shopping experience like no other. It’s a place with a variety of shops and malls and whatever you’re looking for, the city has something to suit. Edinburgh’s shops are not only best known for traditional Scottish souvenirs, but also for an increasing number of designer stores and funky boutiques providing a wide ran-ge of opportunities. You’ll be spoilt for choice.

The medieval buildings which elegantly dominate the city are already asto-nishing eye catchers. What is also recognizable about Edinburgh are its inha-bitants wearing stylish clothes with screaming colours. Let’s have a look which

Shopping & Fashion

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shopping areas are the most worth seeing and which stores bear a hand to fill Scottish wardrobe:The main shopping quarter is Princes Street. It’s a shopper’s paradise with a diffe-rence. It combines shopping and sightseeing at the same time. On the north side you’ll find the most favourite department stores, such as Zara, Gap, H&M, Top-shop, Jenners and many others, opposite you’ll see the spectacular Edinburgh Castle. A block away from Princes Street you’ll find George Street. Flooded with boutiques, bars and restaurants, it’s the city’s most stylish street. St James Shop-ping Centre is the place extending the fabulous range of stores on Princes Street. It is home to stores like Next, Republic, River Island and John Lewis.The best place for Scottish souvenirs is the Grassmarket. Popular for its deep his-torical background, it offers a large variety of interesting things to see and do. Also worth visiting is the Royal Mile, where you can’t avoid shop windows de-corated with scary-looking dolls wearing traditional tartan and kilt outfits. Here you’ll find finest cashmere and first-class tartan as well.Amongst all this tourist kitsch, the beautiful St. Andrews Square offers much for all those who are looking out for chic clothes, designer stores and exclusive bou-tiques. Like the multi-coloured tartan patterns found in the boutiques and High Street stores, Edinburgh mixes different kinds of shopping: From tourist kilts to high class design.

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Shopping off the beaten track

Text & photos by Stephanie Haupt

Keep your eyes open all you bargain hunters and fa-shionistas out there

Powerful men in kneelength-skirts in tartan patterns - better known as kilts – that´s what you may have in mind when you are think about Edinburgh´s fashion scene.

Of course there are a lot of traditional Scottish fa-shion stores all around the city as mentioned before. So don´t be surprised if you see hairy legs just co-vered by ancient skirts from the 16th century, even if it´s f-f-freezing cold outside. But that´s not the only thing the fashion world of Scotland´s capital has on offer for all you shopaho-lics. Here you can also find real fashion treasures and the hottest fanciest clothes besides the bog-stan-dard shops you can find in every city. When strolling around your eyes will glaze over at the kinds of fa-shion you can choose from .

So if you are interested in an individual and unique fashion experience you will love the second-hand shops all around Edinburgh. One of the best stores for cool vintage and retro clothing is Armstrongs (83 The Grassmarket & 64-66 Clerk Street), stocked from floor to ceiling with great stuff. There you can find beautiful dresses, jackets and tops as well as great accessories for a costume party. Belts, bags, hats and, of course, exatraordinary shoes from all periods of time will complete your look. And the best part is they are affordable, even on a small budget.

If you not only want to save money but also want to support aid organisations you can have a look in one of the many charity shops especially in Nicolson Street, Clerk Street and Stockbridge. There you can

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find a huge variety of modern and vintage stuff. Ex-actly the right spots to find desirable fashion.

If you’re more interested in new, yet special clothes – just a bit different – try a visit to Victoria Street with its funky and pretty cool stores like SWISH (22 Victo-ria Street) – easily found because of its purple façade. There you can snatch up playful dresses, rocking t-shirts and huge variations of bags.

Great places to find young and modern clothing are the various shops in Cockburn Street. You definitely should go to Pie in the sky where you will find a huge range of unique dresses, cool shirts and pretty stylish jewellery.

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For more – just take a look at some of Edinburgh´s fashion hotspots yourself. It´s definitely worth it!

Edinburgh´s Fashion Hotspots off the beaten track:

Accessories

Fabhatrix(13 Cowgatehead) If you are a hat-lover, this shop will be the perfect place to go. Here you can get hats in every colour, size and style with an innovative and individual design.

Herman Brown(151 West Port)This shop offers great vintage accessories like sunglasses, sweet jewellery and of course gorgeous shoes. And for all of you who can´t get enough they also have a small range of 1950s-1980s clothes.

Individual Clothing

Electric Cabaret(7 Forrest Road) This shop is the very best place to get punky, emo, scenster and gothy clothing at good prices.

Joey D! (54 Broughton Street)Interesting and extraordinary fashion recycled from vintage clothes and unusual materials made by designers.

Cookie(29 Cockburn Street) Unique and different are the clothes you can get here. Edgy t-shirts, casual bags and beautiful dresses a little higher up price range but still affordable.

Godiva(9 West Port, Edinburgh) Very individual and cool clothing created by local design talents, that´s what you can get at this small boutique.

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Totty rocks(40 Victoria Street) Fancy underwear with playful quillings, sweet dres-ses and jewellery, cool knee socks and tights, which will awaken childhood memories in you.

Ragamuffin(278 Canongate)For every lover of knitwear and woollen clothes you should have a look at this shop. It not only offers hard-to-find designer clothes from Scotland and the rest of Europe but also a more affordable in-house label.

Charity and second-hand shops

The Rusty Zip(14 Teviot Place)This Rusty Zip is the little sister shop of Armstrongs where you can get funky and fabulous vintage clothing for almost everyone.

Barnardos Vintage(116 West Bow)This boutique offers a wide range of retro and desig-ner fashion and accessories from different eras.

British Heart Foundation(102 Nicolson Street)Oxfam(116 Nicolson Street)

Marie Curie Cancer Care(11 St Patrick´s Square)

Did you know……that Edinburgh offers one of Europe´s most successful student-run charity fa-shion shows called ECFS every year? For more information and dates have a look on www.edinburghcharityfashionshow.com

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Shops you shouldn´t miss!

Ready for an unforgettable sugar rush?

Just visit the I <3 CANDY store

Who can resist delicious cupcakes in glowing pink or tasty colourful bonbons? You can´t?! Then you are exactly right at the I <3 CANDY shop near Princes Street. While visiting the cute store in 38 Hanover Street you will immediately feel like being in the land of plen-ty with rivers of creamy chocolate, trees made out of delicious fudge and waterfalls made out of slus-hee…

The distinguished range of sweets is credited to the shop owner who tries her best to find sweets which are special and hard to get. Thus the store is cram-med full of as many different eye-popping kinds of goodies. For example traditional Scottish treats like lemon macaroons and vanilla fudge, retro sweets such as flying saucers as well as yummy chocolate and delectable handmade cupcakes. All can be ac-companied by a nice pot of tea or coffee. But the special thing about the shop is not only the wide range of sweety sweets but also its cosy atmos-phere. Light pink wallpaper, affectionately selected souvenirs accompanied by retro music of the glori-ous 50´s create a nostalgic candy paradise at its best. That´s why you not only see sparkling eyes of child-ren in the shop but also people of all ages pouring in to rediscover lost goodies from their younger days. This shop is definitely a childhood dream come true, so dive into a wonderful world of candy and memo-ries by visting the I <3 CANDY store.

And even if you can´t make it to the shop by yourself, don´t worry! You can order the sweeties via internet right to your home! So have a look on their website: www.ilovecandystore.com

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Christmas the whole year round?

Just visit Ye old christmas shoppe in Edinburgh

Santa Claus, Christmas baubles, fairy lights and small glistening angels are things you can actually only buy or see in the pre-Christmas period. In Edinburgh that’s different!In the the city you will find a small shop stuffed full of everything you need for a festive and wonderful Christmas time. And the best part is that the shop is open 365 days a year, everything is duty-free and most of the products are local and handcrafted. And even if you are visiting the shop in summer you´ll immediately see yourself sitting under the Christmas tree with a whole lot of presents. The peaceful and cosy atmosphere will surely overwhelm you.So if you can´t wait to get cool christmas souvenirs you are just right at Ye old christmas shoppe which you will find at 145 Canongate.

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Entertainment

Let me entertain you!

The Fringe effect

Text & photos by Ruth Amelung and Anna Katharina Laschke

The streets are roaring and every last alley, nook and cranny are crammed with masses of exhilarated peo-ple. A nice mid- summer breeze carries the sound of laughter, clapping hands and jubilant cheers to every corner of the capital. And with that the festival sum-mer has officially begun. Every year people from all over the globe flock to Edinburgh to visit any of the 12 cultural spectacles the European festival hotspot has to offer.

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So if you already happen to have plans, especially for the weeks of August, consider rescheduling because all eyes will be on this city that knows like no other how to throw a festival.The Edinburgh International Festival lures millions of inspired visitors to its shows every year. Three weeks from around mid- August, it is host to the ‘who-is-who’ of international theatre, opera, music, drama and dance promising world class performances and outstanding exhibitions. The Fringe, the world’s biggest arts festival, holds the pole position in the Festival hit list. Originally it was established as a protest by eight theatre groups who were not invited to the inauguration of the Edin-burgh International Festival; yet felt that they should have the right to perform. The idea of the Fringe was born and from 1947 alternative performers could participate and present anything they wanted - as long as they found a venue. Today around 270 ve-nues are nearly bursting and over 30.000 individual performances turn the city into a colossal stage. Also part of the Edinburgh festival is the Royal Edin-burgh Military Tattoo. It is the biggest music festival throughout Scotland and takes place on the Esplana-de, right in front of the Edinburgh Castle. The name Tattoo is said to be derived from the Dutch language meaning “last orders”. Military bands, British armed forces and the Commonwealth are still the center of the musical attention and perform an entertaining mix of parades and military ceremonies. The complete festival program will be published three months in advance, tickets and reservations are available online.

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Did you know, there are more

Science Festival 2 weeks around april -inventions and innovations in science and technology

Bank of Scotland Imaginate festival 6 days in May -theatre for youngsters

Edinburgh International Film Festival 10 days in June -innovative and exciting cinema

Jazz and Blues Festival 1 week beginning of august music -from old and new artists

Edinburgh Art Festival one week beginning of Sep-tember -modern and contemporary art

Edinburgh Mela Festival beginning of August - peo-ple, places, identities reflecting the world

The Fringe

Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Edinburgh International Festival

International Book Festival 2 weeks in August -lar-gest in the world

International Storytelling Festival 10 days in October ( traditional and contemporary storytelling)

Edinburgh Hogmanay (New Years) 5 days of celeb-ration

For further information please check out

http://www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk/festivalshttp://www.edfringe.com/http://www.eif.co.uk/

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Celebrating the New Year at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay

Text by Fred Gratzer

Come to Edinburgh to take part in one of the most important and traditional festive days in Scotland.

To celebrate New Year’s Eve‘ at Edinburgh’s famous Hogmany, which is Europe’s biggest winter festival, is really exciting. During the four day celebration, which lasts from 29 December to 1 January, you and further more than 200.000 enthu-siastic revelers have the opportunity to enjoy over 20 events around the city cen-ter. Visitors are getting spoilt by live music stages in Princes Street, giant screens and laser and light shows and finally you will certainly be impressed by the spec-tacular midnight fireworks which illuminate the sky.

The celebrations begin with the spectacular Torchlight Procession which starts at 6.30pm on 29 December on Parliament Square leading along Princess Street and Waterloo Place to end up at Calton Hill. Hundreds of torch carriers will be accompanied by the pipes and drums in both traditional and contemporary out-fits. By visiting the festivities of the Night Afore International on 30 December, you will get a foretaste for the next night’s Hogmanay celebrations. With enjoy-ing the carnival of street theatre, Scottish dancing, music, bagpipes and ceilidhs you will be in high spirits for the following day.

The highlight of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations on 31 December is the street party, which claims to be the biggest New Year celebration in the world. Music and dancing takes place along the entire length of Princess Street and at Waverley Bridge. The concert in the Princes Street Gardens, where famous artists perform after 9 o’clock, is the music centerpiece of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and is really worth to be visited. If you aren’t tired after celebrating the New Year in the “Home of Hogmanay”, you can follow the tradition to enjoy the sunrise from Arthur’s Seat. Joining Scotland’s capital on New Year’s Eve’ will be certainly an unforgettable experience.

Facts: more information at www.edinburghshogmanay.com Tel.: +44 (0) 131 5293914The main party area is ticketed after 8pm on 31 December. Advice: book in advance!

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Sports in Scotland

Text by Fred Gratzer

For dedicated sport fans Scotland has much going for it

Sport plays an important role in the Scottish culture. Because of the alternating climate, all-weather sports like football, rugby union and golf have the most im-portant local value. You might already know that Scotland has its own unique sporting competitions and governing bodies, such as the Scottish Football League, the Scottish Rugby Union or Cricket Scotland. Even for international competitions like the Football World Cup Scotland delegates its own represen-tatives.

Football (Soccer) is the national sport number one in Scotland: It has a very long tradition and a huge number of spectators and participants. The first ever in-ternational match was between Scotland and England in 1870. In the Scottish Premier League (www.scotsprem.com) Glasgow Celtic and the Glasgow Ran-gers dominate the competition, but there are also two teams representing Edin-burgh: Hearts F.C and Hibernian F.C. Scottish Premier League matches take place on weekends an occasionally on week nights during the season (August to May). The derbies are especially worth seeing and always promise suspense and great amusement for fans and audience. Even if the game turns boring, watching the die-hard supporters in full flow is entertaining enough.

One of the most emotive events in Edinburgh is the Six Nations Rugby Union Championship. It runs annually from February to March. All of the Scottish rugby fans look forward to the clash against England, called the Calcutta Cup, which has been contested since 1871. During the rugby games at Murrayfield Stadium, the whole city of Edinburgh is invaded by fans from all around Scotland who cheer on the Scottish national team. If you get the chance to attend a Rugby Union competition or a football match in Edinburgh, you will be provided with suspense, excitement and tradition. But even a visit to one of Edinburgh’s countless pubs, which broadcast the competi-tions, gives you the feeling of the great atmosphere.

Finally Scotland is the “Home of Golf”, and is famous for its more than 550 golf courses. Edinburgh is home to one of the oldest Leith Links, where the rules of the game were formulated in 1744. Further popular sports in Scotland are Cri-cket, Curling and Shinty, a traditional game of the Scottish Highlands.

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Pubs showing sports:

The Cambridge Bar20 Young StreetEH2 4JB EdinburghTel: +44 (0) 131 226 2120,[email protected]

Bow Bar80 West BowEH1 2HH, Edinburgh, Midlothian. Tel: +44 (0) 131 226 7667.

Murrayfield Hotel Edinburgh18 Corstorphine RoadEH12 6HN EdinburghTel: +44 ( 0) 131 337 1844

Rules of Rugby: www.learnrugbylaws.com

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One night in Edinburgh…you’re in for a real treat!

Text & photos by Ruth Almelung

Daytime Edinburgh has already captured you with countless breathtaking sights, scary myths and funny stories as well as a good and affordable coffee in one of the cosy corner cafés. Let’s go out and find the real fun in the capital while ex-ploring Edi’s diverse nightlife scene. The days when you had to go all the way to Glasgow to chase the fun are long gone. Edinburgh’s nightlife is pulsating and very well set to cater for all tastes.Ladies, unpack your heels, Gents, have a drink and then go and check out:

“Espionage”

Edi’s biggest nightclub

Five levels invite you to copious dance sessions in spacious underground vaults and chill-out time in several bars. Occasio-nally it hosts live- perfor-mances. House, Hip Hop, RnB, Charts and whate-ver the dj’s feel like will make you want to move your feet!

Address: 4 India Buildings, Victoria Street; admission free; open Mo-Sun, 10.30 pm- 3amTel: (+44) 131 477 7007Visit: www.espionage007.co.uk for recent updates

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If you’re up for a retro-chic night out, you’ll feel awfully comfortable at:

“Cabaret Voltaire”

translating music into party

The exclusive, twin-roo-med venue witnesses different exciting events from Killer-Kitsch to Edi’s only remaining regular house night “Ultrag-roove”. It also features up to 30 concerts a month with different artists who choose the cosy yet exclusive atmosphere for a really extraordinary up-close and personal experience.

Address: 36-38 Blair Street; admission free; open Mo-Sun, 11 pm- 3 amTel: (+44) 131 220 6176Please check out: www.thecabaretvoltaire.com for special events

Indie Kids should not miss “Citrus Club”, grand nights in jeans and shirt Being on the scene for years, Citrus has estab-lished a steady clientele ranging from students to older folks who ap-preciate a casual night out. Featuring gigs from eclectic artists to reggae and ska as well as punk and rock bands, the al-ternative soul will feel at home while relishing on cheap drinks and a few hours off the main-stream.

Address: 40-42 Grindlay Street; admission free befo-re 11 pm-11.30 pm., depen-ding on event, after that prices may vary between £ 6-10; open Mo-Sun, around 10.30 pm.- 3 am., depen-ding on eventTel: (+44) 131 622 7086See www.Citrusclub.co.uk for more

“Opal Lounge”, luxuri-ous, cutting-edge club with that bit extra Attracting a more pre-tentious audience, well-known local djs compose an exquisite atmosphere with the latest tunes of dance, club favourites, soul, RnB, funk and oldies while the bar offers the best drops of Champag-ne and Whisky.

Address: 51 George Street; open Mo-Sun, around 10.30 pm- 3 am.; admission varies from £ 2- 8, depending on event; guest list and table reservations possibleTel: (+44)131 226 2275Don’t miss the latest news on: www.opallounge.co.uk

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Looking for some fun “Paris Hilton Style”? Get yourself on the guest list of :“Lulu Nightclub”, Edi’s most elegant late-night venue Gorgeously decorated in Swarowski’s finest, you’ll find sophisticated and classy young professio-nals who see and want to be seen.

Address: 125 George Street; open Mo-Sun; admission free before 10pm, otherwi-se between £5-10Tel: (+44) 131 225 5005Events, bookings and info on: www.luluedinburgh.co.uk

Always a good address to pop in unannounced would be :“The City Nightclub” that is also popular du-ring the week As they say, “the stylish state of the art party venue” attracts hip stu-dents and trendy pro-fessionals to themed nights and occasional promo events. Sublime dj’s get the party started on more than one huge dance floor.

Address: 1a Market Street; open Mo-Sun 11pm-3am ; admission between £4-7 depending on eventTel: (+44) 131 226 9560To keep you updated: www.cityedinburgh.co.uk

Check out http://www.edinburgh-pubs.co.uk/clubs.html or The Skinny (co.uk), a free monthly magazine naming music, films, clubs, theatre, digital, reading, co-medy, art, fashion and listings from A-Z for more detailed information.

More Fun:

The Hive 15–17 Niddry Street,

Electric Circus36–39 Market Street,

Opium71 Cowgate,

The Liquid Room9c Victoria Street,

Base69 Cowgate,

Lava and Ignite3 West Tollcross,

Po Na Na43b Frederick Street,

PS: Some Clubs may re-quire smart dress; drin-king age is 18; prices vary between £2-4 a pint (de-pending on admission) and there is NO smoking in public areas throug-hout Scotland!

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Give it up for our next Artist

Text by Ruth Amelung

With a large student population, the city centre of Edinburgh is packed with cool places for a wild night out. Don’t make the mistake and just check out the usual crime scenes of the diverse nightlife but know that Edinburgh has another enti-rely different but just as exciting culture underground. Find one of those dingy-looking pubs or a traditional downstairs den, which are of course spread all over downtown and encounter some of the best live-music there is. It doesn’t matter if you enjoy rock, folk, blues, jazz, country or RnB, almost every night of the week a venue features some kind of live music.

One of the most popular live music bars is the “Liquid Room”. The underground vault beneath Victoria Street is also known as one of the most popular night clubs in the city and offers brilliant live gigs and concerts on some nights of the week.Address: 9c Victoria StreetTel: (+44) 131 225 2564

For those of you who prefer the up- beat jazzy rhythm of a sax, piano and drums “Eighty Queen Street” is the right address. Looking like a club but hosting live-jazz three times a week, open-mic on Wednesdays and guest bands on Saturdays it very much acts like a proper live-music venue. Address: 80 Queenstreet and 8 Morrison StreetTel: (+44) 131 226 5097

Looking for something you have not heard before? Check out “Bannermanns” where new and mostly unheard-of bands often celebrate their debut.Address: 212 CowgateTel: (+44) 131 556 3254

Also you shouldn’t miss a Thursday night at the “Antiquary”, one of these rather dusky, downstairs pubs that throw the utmost lively open-folk sessions.Address: 72-78 St. Stephen StreetTel: (+44) 131 225 2858

Also a very popular thing to do around here is open-mic, giving everyone a shot at showing what they’ve got- sound-wise. It is always fun and very rewarding, and despite the possible shyness at first, your friends will have trouble getting you off the stage afterwards.

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The spooky side of Edinburgh

Text & photos by Pamela Kölbl and Janine Glozat

The vaults and Mary Kings Close

A town under the town – could this be true? In fact there is one in Edinburgh directly beside the Royal Mile. The vaults are situated in tunnels built in the 17th century underneath the South Bridge which is in the city centre. In the early days of the bridge many businesses grew in these underground spaces. After a while the bridge began to leak and the busi-nesses were forced to move out. The function of the vaults changed and the damp vaults started to be-come home to the extremely poor, especially the Irish immigrants. A place where real people lived, worked and died. But a lack of light, heat, water and air made this area uninhabitable. Today the very dark and still damp vaults are spaces for the public to ex-plore and they haven’t lost their original atmosphere. Some people say with its spooky past it is the most haunted place in Britain. So, are you brave enough to discover what exists down there?

For example at Mary Kings Close or with one of the several tours offered on the Royal Mile:

2 Warristons CloseEH1 1PG EdinburghPhone 0845 070 [email protected]

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The Grassmarket

With its pubs, second hand shops and restau-rants this place is cur-rently a busy student area. You can enjoy the medieval atmosphere with a brilliant view of the castle while having a pint. But what did this market use to be? In the late 17th Century the Grassmarket was used to conduct public han-gings. In the middle of the market you can still find a circle where the executions took place. It is also known for its mur-derers Burke and Hare who killed numerous people, mainly unk-nown Irish immigrants and sold the bodies to medical schools to pro-vide material for dissec-tion. Another place with a dark and bloody past where nobody exactly knows what else happe-ned behind the curtains. So, let your imagination run wild and get into a medieval mood.

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Mackenzie Poltergeist

„Bluidy Mackingie, come oot if ye daur, lift the sneck and draw the bar!“ the kids used to sing while they played on the street close to Grayfriars Kirkyard. There George Mackenzie, a successful and tough advocate in the 17th century, was buried after his death in 1691. But not only his dead body was laid to rest in this cold ground - also a lot of his victims. Bloody Mackenzie was known for his strict ver-dicts. Once he killed 100 men on one single day and a lot of people died during their jail term because of the horrible conditions of detention he had ordered. Most of them were also buried in Grayfriars Kirkyard. And so the dead soul of Mackenzie cannot find peace in this place. It sur-vives as the well known Poltergeist and scares all people away who want to disturb or chase him. So come and visit Ma-ckenzie at his dark and frosty grave on Candle-maker Row.

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Tours back in time

The best way to feel the spirit of these cree-py places is to join one of the numerous tours around the city. It does not really matter which tour you choose - ghosts, underground, terror, wit-ches - every tour will let you go back in the time when 25,000 people had to live between Ho-lyrood Palace and the Castle and the old town of Edi was more a slum than a quarter. But most of them are not for the faint-hearted. Do not be afraid of not finding an operator. There are a lot of tour vendors on the Royal Mile. You cannot miss them because they will not miss you.

http://www.mercattours.com/ghost-tours.asp

http://www.realmarykingsclose.com/

http://www.auldreekietours.com/

http://www.edinburgh-royalmile.com/famous-scots/burke-and-hare.html

http://farm.imdb.com/title/tt0066871/

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Everybody dance now!

Text by Sylvia Kasmann

Fast rhythms, exuberant dancing, sweaty faces, and a lot of fun. This is no description of some fancy night club, but of an important part of Scottish culture: ceilidh.Ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic dance that is accompanied by Scottish live music. So if you join a ceilidh night, you will get a real taste of Scottish culture. Now you might think of elderly peo-ple dressed in kilts who are waltzing to some bagpipes tunes. But you are severely mistaken. Mainly young peo-ple visit these ceilidh nights that con-sist of couple and group dances. They may start slowly but do not be fooled by this. After a while the speed acce-lerates and you might have problems keeping up. But don’t worry, there are always nice Scots around who will help you. Ceilidh is the perfect opportunity to get into contact with some locals in Edinburgh as you will have to switch partners repeatedly in the course of the night. Conversations will develop easily and maybe you can get some insider tips concerning Edi and its sur-roundings. If you go to a ceilidh night, you will experience a fantastic atmosphere of Scottish music and playful dancing. At some point it will become impossi-ble for you to stop laughing because you are either stumbling over your own feet or just enjoying yourself very much. So if you would appreciate some change to the usual night clubs,

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The Gift of the Scottish Pub

Text by Anne Becker and Sharne Plummer

The way I see it, everyone has a gift. I discovered my gift fairly late in life, well, perhaps not late but defini-tely not until I was of legal age.

I like to think of myself as something of a connois-seur of alcohol and pubs. If I’m honest Scotland’s pubs are topping my list for atmosphere, character and personality.

I’m fairly confident I’m not alone when I say that ha-ving the infamous Whisky or a pint in a Scottish bar is quite high up on the “must do” list of anyone tra-velling to Scotland. It’s hard to avoid the plethora of warm, inviting pubs with friendly faces inside.

Whether it be for a quiet beverage with friends or an all night bender Edinburgh will be able to cater for you.

Edinburgh is full of traditional pubs like Port of Leith, Canny Man’s and Café Royal where you can talk to lo-

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cals in a friendly atmosphere with original Victorian style interiors. Edinburgh locals use their neighbour-hood bars as a social centre to meet friends, watch sports, listen to live music or just relax with a wine or one of the long beer brewing heritage originals.

However, if you are in the mood for a party don’t miss Bramble or Amicus Apple or one of the many other cool, stylish bars with occupants dressed to impress. These bars come fully equipped with DJs, a young trendy crowd and state of the art cocktails. All over the new town, particularly on George Street, you will find many of the city’s most fashionable cocktail bars.

As Edinburgh is a city with more than 700 pubs and has more bars per square mile than any other UK city it can be a bit tricky to know where to start. If you are travelling alone or need a little guidance, there are a multitude of pub crawl tours only too happy to assist. These tours vary in price and cater for a variety of age groups. The most common location to pick up one of these tours is the Royal Mile. In summary, Edinburgh is certainly a drinking town par excellence.

I feel I need to mention the two words most com-monly uttered the morning after a really good night – hangover cure – the Scots believe Irn Bru and a fry up can relieve the symptoms of a hangover. Conside-ring they are experts in the field I fully support this approach.

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Whisky in the jar

Text by Anne Becker

If you want to have a wee dram of the world’s famous drink, that keeps Scotland warm in the winter and genial in the summer, don’t miss a trip on The Scotch Whisky Experience right opposite the Camera Obs-cura at the beginning of the Royal Mile.

There you can enjoy a single malt whisky tasting. Choose between the Silver, Gold or Collection Tour and experience for yourself the varying aromas and whe-ther you like fruity, sweet and smoky flavours. Enjoy a tutored nosing and tasting of their selected dram within the world’s largest collection of Scottish devil water. For the cheapest tour an Adult pays £ 11 and Concessions £ 8,50. This one inclu-des a dram of Scotch Malt whisky, a Glen Cairn whisky tasting glass to take away plus a discount voucher for their shop. Under 18’s are given a soft drink.In 1736, the word whisky developed from the Scottish-Gallic word uisge beatha, spoken uschkeba and means water of life. A real scotch whisky shouldn’t have less than 40 % of alcohol and a regular maturing of three years in an oak wood barrel. In Scotland, there are 99 active distilleries and 31 inactive. Twenty five of them are in the Highlands. From south to north the flavour gets heavier and smokier. The region of Speyside is the main production with 48 active distilleries.The upper-class of Edinburgh taste their devil water at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Queen Street. They buy the barrels, casks and butts from the distil-leries and don’t dilute with water to 40 %. These whiskies are not reduced and can get up to 68%. If you are standing at the bar upstairs, don’t wonder about the number on the bottles. They are all limited. The first number stands for the distillery and the second for the cask. If you want to take part on this tasting, you must be a member. The tasting and nosing begins with the lightest one from the

Lowlands, developing to a little heavier, but sweet aroma from Speyside and the Highlands, with much more flavour and ends with a smoky and peaty drop from Isla. For every taste you need 15 minutes, to let it work its magic.After your trip to Edinburgh, you should not miss buying one of over 300 different Single Malt, Grain and Blended scotch whiskies on The Scotch Whisky Experience, to remember such a truly breathtaking experience.

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Surrounding Areas

Escaping the city

Leith - the new upcoming “Hot-spot”

Text & photos by Pamela Kölbl

With modern houses by the port, many different pubs and restaurants and the new shopping centre “Ocean Terminal”, it’s easy to see why Leith is known as the new trendy neighbourhood. A lot of people know the cult hit-film “Trainspotting” from Danny Boyle (based on Irvine Welsh’s novel 1993), but few realise that the story was set in Leith. The film is about a generation in the 1990s who were caught up in the drug scene, once known as a problem area. During the last 10 years many changes have occurred and the district has become quite ambitious in impro-ving its reputation and social scene in Edinburgh. There will be more changes in the future. Leith also sees itself as distinct and separate from Edinburgh. Locals proudly call themselves “Leithers” rather than Edinburgh residents. So, if you want to experience an adventure, just start at the top of Leith Walk and head the whole way down to the harbour. Don’t forget to stop at one of the charming Swedish pubs like the Victoria Bar. Due to its location it is filled with local residents and you’ll have an extensive drinks menu with Lagers from all over the world. After having a pint with a real “Leither”, the Leith Walk will lead you to the historic port of Leith where you can, among

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other things, visit the “Royal Yacht Britannia”. This ship was home to the Queen and the Royal family and is today a popular tourist attraction. Across the street you can have a different shopping experience in the Ocean Terminal based on the waterfront. Apart from having over 70 stores under one roof, you’ll also find a great selection of bars, restaurants, spa, cinema and an indoor skate park. Be careful as you may find your-self with an empty wallet. If you are still not tired of discovering, don’t miss a good dinner in one of the seafood restaurants around the harbour.

Did you know that you can listen to live-music whilst enjoying a pint in a pub on the Leith harbour?

The WaterlineShore, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH6, Phone: 0131 554 2425‎

Did you know that Leith has its own arts festival which takes place every year in June?

www.leithfestival.com

Did you know that you can find on the top of Leith Walk the best fish & chips restaurant of Leith “The Tai-lend”?

The Tailend:12-14 Albert Place, Leith Walk, Edinburgh, EH7 5HNPhone: 0131-5553577

Victoria Bar265 Leith Walk, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH6 8PDPhone: 0131-5545706‎

Royal Yacht Britannia Ocean Terminal, Leith, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH6 6JJ, Phone: 0131 555 5566

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Chill-out zone

Text by Pamela Kölbl

Beaches around Edinburgh

Edinburgh is not only a vibrant city, it has much more to offer. If you like to have a break you don’t have to travel far from the city to enjoy a fresh breeze at the sea. As Edinburgh is situated on the coast you’ll discover tranquil beaches where you can find a place to relax beside the sparkling water.

Portobello Beach

With its short distance from Edinburgh, this beach is the “town-beach” and well-attended on the weekends. The long promenade invites you for a walk in every season of the year. In the summer you’ll find a lot of surfers, swimmers and sun-bathers who enjoy the expansive sandy coast. Don’t miss a first class lunch in one of the pubs right by the beach or simply have an ice-cream at one of the ice-cream vans.

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Cramond

This small beach has a charm of its own. You can wander along the coast on a footway or you can cross the pedestrian bridge to Cramond Island. Be mindful of the tides, as you may stay overnight when the tide comes in. This beach is easily reached by bus or by car. If you like to have a pint and a good dinner near a fire-place before you go back to town, don’t miss the village pub “The Cramond Inn”.

Gullane Bents

This picturesque expanse of beach with its sandy dunes is situated next to the little village of Gullane. It’s easy to get there by bus and by car as it is only about 15 miles from Edinburgh. As well as watching the gorgeous surfers, it is also po-pular for its breathtaking views of Edinburgh. It’s just a short walk to the cosy village where you’ll have a large choice of pubs, cafes and restaurants.

Did you know that you can find an old Roman ruin on the coast of Cramond?

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No Englishmen around? - Just fight with each other!

Text & photos by Raphaela Schedel

Imagine, on a really hot July-day in 1746 you‘re walking around through the won-derful nature of the Highlands. You see the mountains, the Lochs, some red deer.But you‘re not here to enjoy the nature. You are here to fight. To battle for your life. You are wearing a kilt and a huge sword. You are running into your enemy and hopefully you are the one who beats him to death. Otherwise...

Highlands

Battles are daily bread for the Scottish people. The history is full of it. Up to this day, no one knows exactly, why they fought that much. But it‘s sure that combat is in the Scots‘ blood. They just love to fight each other, and for cen-turies the English.So if you are this kind of person, who likes bloody battle stories then you are totally right for the Highlands. There are hundreds of clans in the Highlands. They still exist nowadays. And they are very proud of their history as well as of the battles. Just to mention a few: The MacDonalds, The Frasers, The MacKenzies and so on, revel in their blood-stained history.

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All of them used to battle each other all the time, out of the most implausible re-ason you can imagine. And they did not stop till most of the soldiers died. Some of the tour-guides even affirm that some warriors took „Magic-Mushrooms“ to daze their mind and to displace their fears. Thus it sometimes happened, that they struggled even naked. (Aye, it DID happen!) But of course the most hated enemy was the government in London. If there was a problem with the English - and of course there were plenty of problems with the English - they always allied together and fought their heart out. The most important battle for the Scots is the Battle of Culloden (1746). It was the last revolt of the Scots against the English and sadly also a huge loss for the Scottish nation. You can ask every child in Scotland about it. This defeat goes deep.Regarding Scottish History you shouldn‘t miss the chance to get to see the batt-lefields, to feel the atmosphere and to behave like a real Scottish soldier. (On second thoughts, try not to pick a fight with red coats.) So set off to the Highlands, where you can explore a world of battles, pure testo-sterone and brave men.

Famous Battles Parties involved Battle of Stirling Bridge England vs. Scotland („Braveheart“)(11. September 1297)

Battle of Bannockburn England vs. Scotland(24. June 1314)

Battle of Killiecrankie Jacobite Royalists (Highlanders & Irish) vs. (27. July 1689) Orange Covenantor Royalists (Highlan ders & Lowlanders)

Massacre of Glencoe Clan MacDonald vs. Clan Campbell(13. February 1692)

Battle at the Culloden Moor British Army vs. Jacobites and French (16. April 1746) Army

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Dipping into a Highland adventure for a day

Text by Julia Nickenig

Beautiful lochs, great mountains, historic castles - a trip into the Highlands is unforgettable. Explore the wildlife with sheep, goats and highland cows grazing in the meadows and enjoy the calm-ness of nature. You will be impressed by the amazing landscape surrounding you.

The Highlands are the mountain range located in the north-west of Scotland. They are home to 650 000 people living in Inverness, the northernmost city in the UK, in small villages or even in the middle of nowhere. Due to its natural beauty thousands of tourists come every year to spend some relaxing days in the moun-tains.

Loch Ness, famous for its legendary monster Nessie, is the most visited place in the Highlands. With an impressive depth of 226 metres it is the largest loch in Scotland by volume. On your way to Loch Ness you will pass another su-perlative - Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles. It is 1344 metres high and simply known as “the Ben”.Many locals and visitors refer to the Highlands as the real Scotland. Indeed you can see traditional culture there. The Gaelic language has survived and although everybody understands English the native folk are still able to speak the old language. If you are there in summer don’t miss the chance to see one of the Highland games that are held in diffe-rent villages. You can observe competitions in discip-lines like throwing the hammer or tossing the caber, as well as enjoy music and dances in traditional kilts. Since Queen Victoria first attended the games in Bra-emar in 1848 the Royal Family is traditionally a guest of the spectacle.

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There are several agencies starting their Highland tours in Edinburgh.

Here are some examples. For more information please ask in the tourist office.

Highland Experience Tours: +44(0)131 226 1414www.highlandexperience.com

Highland Explorer Tours: +44 (0)131 558 3738www.highlandexplorertours.com

Gray Line Scotland: +44(0) 131 555 555www.graylinescotland.com

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The Scottish Kilt

Did you know…?

- the history of the kilt dates back to the 16th century

- its origin lies in the Highlands – in the rough land kilts were more practical than trousers

- most clans have their own pattern

- it is knee-length and shouldn’t touch the ground when the wearer kneels down

- most people don’t wear a kilt in eve-ryday life but on formal occasions and sport events

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Scottish Vocabulary

The Scots are very proud of their own country being separated from the Eng-lish. Of course they also formed their own Scottish slang (out of the Gaelic lan-guage) which has over 25,000 different words and can sometimes be very hard to understand. As a little help for you, we have collected some Scottish words. Have fun with the pronunciation, it could be difficult.

Scottish Slang English

Alba The Gaelic name for ScotlandAye YesBen MountainBonny Beautiful Cannae Cannot, can‘t.Chaynge No ideaCludgie ToiletDruthy ThirstyGlen ValleyBurgh TownHing aff us Leave me aloneHogmanay New Years EveHowff PupLaddie Young ManLassie Young Lady Loch LakePiece SandwichPockle SwindleNaw NoNippin Nagging

Scottish vocabulary

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Nocht NothingRaj CrazySassenach The English, Strangers in general (insul ting)Scaffy Cheap and tackyWee Tiny

And for those of you who sometimes want to get a little rude we have also coll-ected some words. Attention: You should not forget that most of the Scottish men are quiet athletic and easy to anger. But of course you can give it a try and see what happens.

Scottish Slang (rude) English

Cheb BreastDobber IdiotDokey Penis (rude)Eeejit A FoolFud Vagina (rude)Goosed FuckedHackit UglyMad rocket A person who is crazyMoroculous Extremely drunkNumptie MoronSmeekit DrunkWindae-licker Feeble-mindedYa Bas You Bastard.Yer Maw cares. Who gives a shit.

For more Scottish Words use this website: http://www.scotsdictionaries.org.uk/

It‘s a braw bricht moonlit nicht de nicht. It‘s a beautiful bright moonlit night tonight.

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Useful Information

Telephone Numbers

Police 0131 311 3131Emergency/Fire Department 999Tourist Information 0845 225 5121National Rail 0845 748 4950Edinburgh Airport 0870 040 0007Traveline 0871 200 2233Lothian Buses and Airlink Airport Bus 0131 555 6363Mobile Phone Emergency 112Taxi 0131 228 1211Car Hire 0845 293 8400

German Embassy23 Belgrave SquareLondon, SW1X 8PZ.Tel. (+44)- 20 / 782 413 00Fax. (+44)- 20 / 782 414 35

Important service numbers:Emergencynumbers for EC-/Creditcard:Euro-/Master-Card, Visa: +49-69 / 7933 1910EC +49-1805 / 021 021American Express +49-69 / 75761000Diners Club +49-5921/ 86 1234ADAC +49-89 / 22 2222

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Last WordsAll good things come to an end. And so does this travel guide.Now that you‘ve read this guide - hopefully you did because otherwise you might have missed some important facts - and we hope that you en-joyed it!For more information about what‘s going on in Edinburgh please see the attached websites and addresses.

Your Travel Guide Team

About usLayout/Design: Sanna Giovanoli

Editor: Ruth Amelung

Writers & photographers: Sharne PlummerJulia NickenigMelanie SchütteFred Gratzer Kerstin MahlerDesi IlkerAnne-Kathrin BeckerAnna Katharina LaschkeRaphaela SchedelJanine GlozatStephanie HauptFriederike EbelRuth AmelungSylvia KasmannSanna GiovanoliPamela Kölbl

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